The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, has alleged that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Ibrahim Gotan, personally ordered the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye, shortly after an incident at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders’ meeting.
Egbedun made the allegation on Thursday, while recounting what transpired before the police invited the SSG for questioning over the recovery of cash and other items from his residence.
According to the Speaker, he, the Deputy Governor and the SSG were seated together throughout the INEC stakeholders’ meeting when the Commissioner of Police was booed by participants while addressing the gathering.
He alleged that immediately after returning to his seat, the police commissioner looked in their direction, while the SSG laughed.
Egbedun claimed that the commissioner then picked up his telephone and made a series of calls, after which he informed the SSG that he believed the police commissioner had just ordered his arrest.
He said a few minutes later, the SSG received a telephone call informing him that police officers were waiting at his residence, prompting him to leave the meeting immediately.
The Speaker said he later contacted the SSG to know what had happened and was informed that he had been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations that police recovered N4 million and two Permanent Voter Cards belonging to members of his political party who were holding a meeting within his compound.
Egbedun questioned the basis for inviting or attempting to arrest a public official over such allegations.
The Speaker also narrated what he described as a previous encounter with the Commissioner of Police, alleging that he had received intelligence that some suspected APC thugs were planning to attack his residence.
He said while he and his security personnel remained on alert, the police commissioner allegedly directed that all officers attached to him should report to his office for questioning.
Egbedun said he immediately contacted the commissioner and informed him that he would not succumb to intimidation or abandon his residence because of any individual.
He further alleged that Commissioner Gotan and some officers under his command had caused significant disruption in Osun State, adding that he had received information over the past two weeks that some police officers were allegedly planning to implicate and arrest him.
The Speaker disclosed that despite advice from some people to leave Osun State or vacate his residence for safety reasons, he had resolved to remain in the state, expressing confidence that justice would prevail.
He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to intervene and relieve the people of Osun State of what he described as intimidation under the leadership of the state Commissioner of Police.
Egbedun maintained that the people of Osun deserve professional, impartial and law-abiding policing that respects the rule of law.